The Natal Police believed Bhambatha was going to resist the tax with force and sent about 150 men to arrest him. Instead the police were ambushed and four policemen killed. Thousands of colonial troops were then sent after him, including cavalry and heavy artillery, leading to 3,500 casualties. The British government claimed Bhambatha was killed in action in the Battle of Mome Gorge, while it is commonly believed among the Zulu people that he fled and eventually settled in Mozambique. He is often credited as an inspiration to South Africans during the anti-apartheid movement.