Configuring DNS on RHL 9

We have a MS 2000 Advance Server with SP4 as a Master in our INTRANET and we wanted to start implementing a Slave DNS on Linux.
All configurations of the named.conf are correct however when we start named it gives an error “named:rndc:connection failed [Ok]”.
In the services it shows bind as started but with error rndc:connection failed.
If we remove the rndc key would it help and how will security be effected?