Ambitious in expanding Nxumalo supremacy, Zwide was a prominent rival to Dingiswayo, king of the Mthethwa and his famous general and protégé, Shaka kaSenzangakhona, the founder of the Zulu Kingdom.
Zwide sought to expand his borders, and in 1818 he destroyed the power of the Mthethwa Kingdom, after he had King Dingiswayo killed.
Mashobana's son and heir Mzilikazi escaped from the Nxumalo and sought refuge with Shaka, who had reformed the remnant Mthethwa clan under his rule.
Knowing this, Zwide planned to destroy the Zulu Empire to secure Ndwandwe domination of Zululand.
After Zwide and his clansmen escaped, the Zulu attacked the rest of his people, killing many at Mome Gorge, a desolate place.