The use of racial criteria to appoint State employees has caused a massive level of vacancies in State departments, a Democratic Alliance (DA) research report has found.

Party Member of Parliament (MP) Anchen Dreyer said on releasing the report at a press briefing in Cape Town on Tuesday that there were currently 36 588 vacant posts in 29 departments and that the government's affirmative action policies were largely to blame.

"Since the filling of vacancies is based on racial criteria prescribed in laws such as the Employment Equity Act, thousands of competent citizens from so-called racial of ethnic minorities either leave the civil service or are not even considered for appointments," Dreyer said.

The vacancy levels, which increased by 3 300 in 2009, were impacting on the government's ability to deliver crucial services to the public.

Home Affairs was the worst off department, with a 29,8% vacancy rate, followed by Communications with 28,7%.

"The ability of these departments to deliver on their mandates is significantly undermined by this acute skills deficit," Dreyer said.

It was taking on average 20 months to fill posts in the civil service. This long period was related to the ineffective recruitment and appointment procedures followed by most civil departments.

Dreyer said the biggest constraint to solving the skills crisis was the state of the country's education system.

"The problem is evident not just in those institutions specifically designed to equip people with the advanced skills and training needed to secure employment in the market, but the country's primary and secondary education institutions as well.

"If the situation is to be turned around, this fundamental problem needs to be addressed."

However, some departments, such as Transport, had fared far better than others by reducing its vacancy level to 10%.

"They must be doing something right, which should be replicated by other departments," Dreyer said.