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The Democratic Alliance has accused Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula of breaking his promise to protect rural residents.

Nqakula must explain why he has not kept to his commitment to maintain rural safety, DA spokesman Ryno King said in a statement on Thursday.

"By allowing commandos to be phased out before proper rural policing is in place, he has broken his promise to South Africans.

"In 2002 the minister undertook to maintain the operation of SANDF (SA National Defence Force) commandos for the purpose of patrolling rural areas in Mpumalanga and other provinces until sector policing plans had been drawn up and implemented," King said.

According to recent reports the plans were not yet in place -- yet 17 commandos would be disbanded by the end of March 2005, with a further 55 to be removed in the next financial year.

Without adequate policing in areas where commandos had been removed, those living in these districts would be vulnerable to stock theft, farm attacks and robbery.

Farmers and farm workers continued to be viewed by criminal elements as soft targets due to the long distances between farms and because many rural residents were often older and therefore more vulnerable.

"Moreover, despite most farm attacks being motivated by robbery, these are in many instances carried out in an extremely brutal manner, with many such incidents characterised by senseless acts of violence.

"We will hold the minister to account for any escalation in violence in these areas."

The commandos had so far been extremely effective in curbing rural crime, and had caught a number of suspects involved in violent attacks in Mpumalanga.

Nqakula should be able to guarantee that an equally effective system would be put in place as soon as the various commando units had been removed, King said.