Cetshwayo, heir to the Zulu throne had his father, Mpande,
worried over his rapid gain of influence amongst the Zulu.
Mpande decided therefore to encourage the rivalry between
Cetshwayo and his brother Mbuyazi by suggesting Mbuyazi could be
chosen instead as the royal heir. The situation became fraught,
and when John Dunn, who came to negotiate a peace between the
brothers, offered his services to Mbuyazi, battle was
inevitable. The Battle of Ndondakusuka Despite the advantage of
firearms provided by John Dunn's iziNqobo, the overwhelming
numbers of Cetshwayo's uSuthu (between 15,000 and 20,000
warriors) forced the battle held on 2 December 1856, and
Mbuyazi's iziGqoza were driven towards the Thukela. Only about
2,000 of Mbuyazi's 7,000 warriors survived the crossing, with a
similar proportion of losses amongst the accompanying women and
children. Cetshwayo Takes Power In 1857 Cetshwayo and Mpanda
came to terms. Cetshwayo would have effective control of the
nation whilst Mapande would retain 'ultimate' author