Public servants looted more than R100 -million from the state in 2008-2009, a Public Service Commission report has revealed.

Its annual report, released yesterday, shows that national and provincial government workers stole 400% more than in the previous financial year.

Fraud accounted for 53% of losses and theft for 15%.

A "significant portion of the cases reported involve social grant fraud, subsistence and travel claim fraud, capturing fraudulent transactions and petty cash fraud", the report said.

Public servants stole laptop computers, petrol, state funds and food.

Of the unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful spending only R9.9-million was recovered.

Nationally, the department of justice and constitutional development accounted for R31.2-million of the R100.1-million loss. The department of agriculture was the second-biggest loser, at R19-million.

The worst province was Mpumalanga, with R18.9-million stolen, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with R5.2-million. Northern Cape had the lowest financial loss, R328000.

The number of workers caught with their hands in the till rose from 868 in 2007-2008 to 1204 in 2008-2009. Of the 1204 reported cases, 260 were in national departments and 944 in the provinces. Most of the thieves in national departments were in justice, followed by home affairs.

In terms of the number of cases opened, KwaZulu-Natal led with 258 cases, closely followed by Limpopo, with 255.

The chairman of Parliament's portfolio committee on public accounts, Themba Godi, said the report reinforced perceptions that government corruption was on the rise.

He said the public service lacked the will to deal with fraud and corruption and that "control measures are weak".

The Public Service Commission report said that 1037 workers were found guilty of financial misconduct in 2008-2009, b ut only 131 were fired .