It was decided that Piet Uys and Hendrik Potgieter would lead a punitive commando in retaliation to the perceived aggression by the Zulus and their king, Dingane ka Senzangakona.

The royal capital was visible some 5km away, and across the Nzololo stream in the valley they could see some Zulu warriors atop a small hillock, sitting quietly on their shields.

This small hill was close to the centre of a basin formed by low ridges and was called Italeni.

He continued along the deep pools of the Reed creek and crossed it some 120m further, swinging north to ascend Italeni Hill where the white shields were waiting.

After riding to within 36 metres of the Zulu force, Uys ordered his men to dismount and open fire.

What seemed to Uys and his men as a rout, was in fact a brilliant tactical withdrawal by the Zulus, to draw the commando over the kopje.

The Voortrekkers quickly mounted their horses and followed the fleeing Zulus in small groups in all directions.

[9] As they reached the crest of the hill they noted that Potgieter's commando was being pushed back by the marauding right horn.

The Uys commando quickly realized their mistake and start to take flight, back across the kopje and the low neck towards the Reed creek.

The Zulus charged with a cacophony of noise and the small party turned and fled back towards the drift.

Bitter fighting took place but the men managed to stay on the western side of Nzololo stream and flee up along the pass from which they came.

Meanwhile, two members of Uys' party (the Malan brothers) had become isolated from the rest of the commando while pursuing the fleeing Zulus and were being led into an ambush in a bushy gorge.

[9] Seeing the danger they were in, Uys formed a party of fifteen volunteers (including his son, Dirkie) and rode to their rescue.

The left horn now blocked any further advance and the Voortrekkers were forced to shoot a passage through the wall of Impis.

Due to the outcome of the battle, the Voortrekker forces involved in the fighting subsequently became known as the Vlugkommando (Flight Commando).

During a subsequent meeting of the Voortrekkers, Potgieter was accused of cowardice and treachery for his refusal to endanger his commando in an attempt to rescue Uys' party.

In disgust at the cries of "traitor", Potgieter and his followers left and returned to the Orange Free State.

Previously it has been speculated that the Zulus named it the "Battle of Italeni" as some of the fighting took place at Itala Mountain, 24 kilometres away.