Lo mdlali odabuka KwaZulu-Natal, wadlala okokuqala kumaProteas ngo-2007, wagqama emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu efana neNdebe yoMhlaba ka-2007 no-2015, Commonwealth Games ka-2010 no-2014 nama-All Africa Games ka-2011.
Uke waba ngukaputeni waleli qembu ngo-2009, kanti sekukonke ubesedlale imidlalo engu-97 eqenjini lesizwe ngaphambi kokuthi akhiphe isimemezelo sokushiya kwakhe ngeSonto.
Usazoqhubeka nokudlala imiqhudwelwano yakuleli kanti abuye aqhubeke nomsebenzi asewuqalile wokuqeqesha. Ugcine ukubizwa eqenjini lesizwe ngo-2020.
"Engikwazi kamhlophe ukuthi bengizinikela ngakho konke enginakho njalo uma ngigqoke umfaniswano wamaProteas. Nokho-ke ngibona sekuyisikhathi esifanele sokuthi ngimemezele ngokusemthethweni ukuthi sengiyekile ukudlala ezingeni lamazwe ngamazwe," kusho uMthembu esitatimendeni sakhe.
“Ngenza kahle emidlalweni eminingi engayizama ngisemncane kodwa ngazizwa ngisekhaya ngempela ngesikhathi ngiqala ukudlala i-netball ngineminyaka engu-10. Ngangingazi ukuthi ngizogcina ngimele izwe lami emidlaweni eminingi kangaka ezinkundeni ezihlukene emhlabeni.
“Kube wuhambo olude futhi kuningi okuhle okwenzekile kunokubi. Ngibe nezinselelo eziningi ngenxa yokulimala kodwa ngidlule kuzona ngokuzimisela nokusebenza kanzima."
UMthembu ubonge bonke abantu abamesekile ngezindlela ezehlukene, ikakhulukazi njengoba ake alimala kabi edolweni ngo-2010 nango-2014.
“Ngibonga bonke abantu ababe yingxenye yohambo lwami, labo ebesibambisene nabo eqenjini lesizwe, abaphathi, abaqeqeshi, ozakwethu, odokotela, abaxhasi nabalandeli,” uqhube kanje.
“Umama wami ongasekho nguyena owangixhasa kakhulu futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi ngimenze waziqhenya kulolu hambo lwami neqembu lesizwe.
“Ngemuva kwemidlalo engu-97, ngikholwa ukuthi lesi sahluko esisha engingene kuso sizongivumela ukuthi ngidlale indima ehlukile futhi ngidlulisele engikufundile nengihlangabezane nakho esizukulwaneni esilandelayo.
"Ngiyohlale ngingumlandeli wamaProteas futhi ngifisela iqembu okuhle kodwa kuyo yonke imidlalo elizoyidlala."
Njengamanje uMthembu ungumqeqeshi weKingdom Queens, okuyiqembu laKwaZulu-Natal, elidlala esigabeni sesibili seTelkom Netball League.
AmaProteas azodlala ne-England ngoJuni, aphinde adlale neminye imidlalo yokuzilolonga ngaphambi kwamaCommonwealth Games alo nyaka azoqala ngoJulayi eBirmingham, e-England.
Iqembu lakuleli libheke ukungena emgqigqweni omuhle ngaphambi kweNdebe yoMhlaba ezobanjelwa eKapa, ngonyaka ozayo.