This is according to his daughter, Prof. Marita Carnelley. Not much is known yet surrounding the circumstances of his death, but Du Plessis did have prostate cancer for the past few years. Dr Prinsloo praised Du Plessis for his contribution to the Afrikaans language and art through his writing, citing him as having a huge influence on many young and up-and-coming writers.

“His legacy will be inspiring young people as well as students for many years to come and will of course still have an impact on Afrikaans as a language, to which he contributed with his beautiful writing and jubilant spirit,” Prinsloo added.

Du Plessis was born on14 July 1934 as the youngest of three children, and also the only son of the teacher Frikkie du Plessis in Boshof in the Free State. He completed his 9th grade and matric at Hoër Volkskool Heidelberg. He studied at the University of Pretoria and obtained a BA degree in Afrikaans and Dutch as a major in 1955.

In 1960 he obtained the BA Honors degree at the University of theWitwatersrand. In the sixties, he served on the editors of the literary magazineKol. In 1970 he became Deputy Director of the newly established Institute ofLanguage, Arts and Art of the Council for Humanities Research in Pretoria.

His screenplay for Nag van die 19de, Liewe hemel Genis and Weerskant die nag were filmed and he wrote the script on the life story of Bles Bridges, Devil and the song.

From his marriage to Marie, a son, Frits, and daughter, Marieta, were born. They lived in Johannesburg and afterwards in Meyerspark in Pretoria, but in1980 he bought a farm at Rysmierbult near Ventersdorp in North West, which he called Sémoér. 

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