Johannesburg — DEAR Mabhuti Khenyeza. You may not like the sound of this, but I bet a colleague the contents of my piggy bank that you would either not honour your call-up letter to the national team or you would typically saunter into camp way past the Sunday evening deadline you were given.

You have become such a predictable little bugger that I was supremely confident that I would not have to smash my prized piggy into smithereens to settle this bet. And predictably, you did not disappoint.

I'm sure you have been getting disapproving stares from strangers in the streets and trips to the corner shop have suddenly become unpleasant. And who could blame those giving you the evil eye after your decision once again to disrespect the national team jersey?

We listened with amusement as your club's spokesman, Alex Shakoane, tried to explain the reason behind your late arrival at the Bafana Bafana camp and instead of making sense, he only managed to twist himself into knots. The only thing we could deduce from his gobbledegook was that he knew a lot more than he was letting on.

What we know is that Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira sent your club Mamelodi Sundowns a call-up letter to the national team's friendly internationals against Japan on Saturday, and Jamaica on Tuesday.

It was all good and fine until we realised that Sundowns had a league match scheduled in Durban on the same weekend as local-based players were supposed to report to the Bafana camp. You played for Sundowns against Golden Arrows on Saturday and you were then supposed to fly back to Johannesburg the following day to join Bafana.

You see, Mabhuti, old habits die hard and we were certain that you would pull off all too familiar stunts and do one of your infamous vanishing acts once you got to Durban. We all know that Durban is your hometown and you seem to go into a tailspin whenever you go anywhere near the Banana City. Hell, you used to disappear even during your days at Golden Arrows a few years ago.

Anyway, it did not come as a shock when we heard that you did not board the flight back to Johannesburg and stayed behind to attend to mythical "family business". Attempts by the Bafana camp to get hold of you were unsuccessful because you did not answer your cellphone and did not even bother to respond to the litany of SMS and voice messages that were left on your mobile.

It's quite astonishing that you then had the temerity to show up at the Sundowns training session on Monday morning when you knew very well that you were supposed to have reported to the Bafana camp the previous day. We commend Parreira for telling you to get the hell out of his sight when you tried to talk your way out of trouble with club official Trott Moloto on Monday afternoon.

You may have had a legitimate reason for missing your Bafana arrival deadline, but it still does not explain why you could not have had the decency to call them if you had some kind of a problem. In any case, it boggles the mind that you always seem to ignore calls and messages whenever some family problem prevents you from joining Bafana camps on time.

This is not the first time this has happened and that is why you are going to struggle to find a sympathetic ear. You pulled a similar stunt on the eve of the Confederations Cup in June and you paid the price when then coach Joel Santana dumped you.

At 27, you are no spring chicken, Mabhuti, and you will have to decide whether you want to grow up or not.

If I had my way, I would make sure that you are never allowed within 100km of the Bafana jersey again because you clearly haven't got a clue. The ball is in your court.

Yours faithfully,

Mninawa

M. Ntloko is sports editor.