His brother Mpande sought to separate his followers from Dingane and drew support from an alliance with Boer settlers led by Andries Pretorius.

The Boer settlers under Pretorius had inflicted a crushing defeat on Dingane in 1838 at the Battle of Blood River, allowing them to carve out territory and create the Natalia Republic.

In 1839, fearing that Dingane intended to kill him, to rid himself of a possible rival for the throne, Mpande had fled across the Thuleka river with 17,000 of his followers.

[1][2] Mpande had made a deal with Boers that he would grant them substantial land and cattle in St. Lucia Bay if they helped to install him as king.

[4] When it looked as though his army might desert en masse, Ndlela ordered the withdrawal of his remaining forces.

On 14 February 1840 Pretorius issued a proclamation stating that a large stretch of land extending from St. Lucia Bay was now the border between the Zulu kingdom and the Republic of Natalia.