In 1884 Batawana, a northern based Tswana clan's cavalry under the command of Kgosi Moremi fought and defeated the Ndebele's invasion of northern Botswana at the Battle of Khutiyabasadi. This blow to the larger invading Ndebele force signalled  the start of the collapse of the Ndebele Kingdom in Zimbabwe and helped galvanize Tswana speaking authority of the area now making part of northern Botswana.