A report showing a vast increase in the percentage of black public servants proves that further black empowerment initiatives have become redundant, trade union Solidarity said yesterday.

A report showing a vast increase in the percentage of black public servants proves that further black empowerment initiatives have become redundant, trade union Solidarity said yesterday.

The report also found that although black, coloured and Indian people were named in legislation as groups to benefit from empowerment initiatives, blacks benefited the most.

According to findings of the SA Transformation Monitor, conducted by the union's research wing, blacks currently make up about 79percent of the total public service.

Representation of blacks in the Department of Science and Technology was 87percent, while in the Independent Complaints Directorate and the Department of Home Affairs it was at 82percent and 80,1percent, respectively.

The representation of blacks in the provincial and local government currently stands at 79percent, Solidarity said.

Six of the 15 departments and institutions monitored already had representation of blacks of between 70percent and 78percent.

Head of the Solidarity Research Institute Johan Kruger said: "These figures are clear proof that transformation in the public service has already progressed quite far."

The study shows that the representation of white employees has dropped significantly, with the largest percentage decrease in the Department of Home Affairs. - Sapa