Imbongi (poets) began poetically describing the wonderful social structure of Mthwakazi with references like uMbuthwa okazi (the great collective union).
However, the colonial powers, occupying the eastern neighbouring state at the time (British Mashonaland Protectorate[9]), later disregarded these agreements and invaded Mthwakazi on 3 November 1893.
[10] Mzilikazi's settlement in southwestern Rhodesia (now Matabeleland, Zimbabwe) can be described as a transformative and strategic occupation, marked by his establishment of a powerful, centralized Ndebele kingdom.
The territory he settled, later called Mthwakazi by the Ndebele, was previously inhabited by groups like the Kalanga and Rozvi, whose societies were impacted by Mzilikazi's expansion.
Mzilikazi's settlement involved both conquest and incorporation: he subdued local communities but also assimilated many of their people into the Ndebele social structure.
His rule brought stability to the area after the disruption of the Mfecane, establishing the Ndebele as a major political and military power in southwestern Rhodesia, which would remain significant until British colonial occupation in the late 19th century.
The ethnic groups which were found in this "unnamed" area are the Kalanga, Venda, Xhosa, Sotho, Nambya, Tonga and the Karanga, Zezuru, Korekore, Ndau and Manyika (made up the eastern Shona dialects).
The effects of Mthwakazian success, led by Mzilikazi in campaigns defending the Limpopo line in battles against the Boer attacks of 1847–1851, were so much that it persuaded the government of the South African Republic to sign a peace treaty in 1852.
Faced with this attack as well as a simultaneous invasion by imperial troops from the south, Lobengula left his capital, Bulawayo, and the invading forces could not capture him, he disappeared in the direction of the Zambezi River.
It is conventionally presumed that he died in late 1893 or early 1894; there is no certainty, however, and there were rumours that he had crossed the Zambezi and found refuge with Mpezeni's Ngoni people in North Eastern Zambia.
[14] On 14 August 1893, at Fort Victoria in British Mashonaland Protectorate the BSA Co signed a secret contract called the Victoria Agreement pledging to give each mercenary "a free farm 6,000 acres with the title deed value of 9,000 sovereign pounds, 15 gold reefs, 5 gold alluviums, a share of looted cattle (600,000) one half going to the BSA Co another half being shared equal between officers and men, a share of the Kingdoms' mineral consisting of two 20 liters tins of biscuit one full of pure gold with another one full of uncut diamonds all worth 10 million sovereign pounds and a provision of forced and cheap labour of the conquered people once Mthwakazi was conquered".
Once the Matabeleland Order-in-Council was in place, the BSA Co proceeded to expropriate all the fruitful lands from the inter-cultural society of Mthwakazi, dispossessed them of 600,000 cattle and any other valuable properties, displacing people by exiling them to the inhabitable two Native Reserves where they remained poor, as forced and cheap labour.
The BSA Co promptly formed the conquest government which ruled by terror, imposed deprivation situations against the people of Mthwakazi and opportunity reservations for the rulers.