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The phasing out of commandos in rural areas was being hampered by a lack of consultation, a defence and security expert said on Tuesday.

Len le Roux of the Institute for Security Studies said he was not aware of any consultation with relevant stakeholders despite a recommendation to that effect by experts.

"We drew up a report recommending that the SA National Defence Force and the SA Police Service should involve as many stakeholders and interest groups as possible within the various working groups of the task team overseeing the implementation of the phasing out of the Commando system," Le Roux said.

"As far as I know, no consultation has yet taken place."

Other than the rural safety and security element, commandos also played a vital role during war, and during times of emergency and natural disasters.

"They are there and can be mobilised in a relatively short time to assist in emergency relief work," Le Roux said.

He also questioned the ability of the police to deal with certain types of crime which were executed with almost military precision, like cash-in-transit heists.

"The question is whether the police are up to handling these types of crime. These crimes are committed with such precision that you need a military response and the commandos were involved in that."

He said it was imperative that rural and local communities have an input into the phasing out of the commandos. No plan had been put forward so-far as to what would replace commandos with regard to fighting crime in rural areas.

Spokesman for the Defence Ministry, Sam Mkhwanazi, said it was not necessary to consult farmers and farmers' unions because no vacuum would be left regarding rural safety and security.

"There won't be a vacuum," he said. "We take the safety of farmers and everybody else in the country seriously."

Mkhwanazi said the commandos were being phased out because the "military can't do the work of the police. In terms of the Constitution it is the police's work to fight crime".

He added that the SANDF would still assist the police with fighting crime "if and when requested".

Spokeswoman for National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, Sally de Beer said the police were still busy drawing up a plan of how commandos would be replaced.

She said as soon as this plan had been presented to the relevant structures within government, the police would roll out a communication strategy to inform the public. She added, however, that it would not be too soon.

"The phasing out stretches over six years. Everything will be in place by the end of March 2009."

Le Roux said if no consultation took place in the initial stages, he looked forward to the time when parliament would invite the public to comment on the suggested plans to replace the commandos.