Madam Speaker and hon members, Sunday was really the Ides of March as we woke up to the tragic news that our esteemed Cabinet Colleague and Comrade Collins Chabane had passed away in a horrific car accident on the N1. We wish to convey our acknowledgment and appreciation for the condolences that have been sent to the ANC and this government and for those that have been sent to the families.
As for the business of the day, Madam Speaker, let us recognise this motion of no confidence in the President for what it is - a desperate attempt by a party that has nothing to offer its country and the few areas that it governs. [Applause.] We will show that this motion is without substance. No sooner had a similar motion been withdrawn two weeks ago than another one is proposed by a party which was clearly behind the first attempt, using the vulnerability of a party that has only two representatives in a 400- Member Parliament. [Applause.] The proposers of this motion have told everyone who cares to listen that the economy is at its weakest point in recent history. The opposition then takes a huge leap forward and attributes the economic challenges of the globe to one person, President Zuma.
The facts are that the 2007-08 economic crisis was one of the worst since the Great Depression of the 1920s. And South Africa did not escape the devastating impact. To claim some form of exceptionalism from the economic realities of the globe is wrong and shortsighted. The global economy went from a gross domestic product, GDP, growth rate of 5,2% in 2007 to 0,7% in 2009. Advanced economies contracted by 3,5%; Central and Eastern Europe economies by 3,6%; the Eurozone by 4,4%; Latin America and the Caribbean by 1,5%.
The global economy bounced back to 4,9%, only to contract back from 2011 onwards. Countries such as Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Puerto Rico, Croatia, Ireland, Netherland, Slovenia, Cyprus, Denmark and Finland have battled to recover from the economic crisis and have experienced negative growth rates for two or more years over the past four years. [Applause.] South Africa's economic growth has also tracked the global economy and has remained below its pre-crisis level.
The charge by the Official Opposition that unemployment has escalated to unprecedented levels is equally flawed. Whilst jobs were lost during this crisis, in 2014 our country has actually managed to employ even more people than were employed in years when jobs were lost, implying that there is recovery. For example, the quarterly labour force survey has indicated that the full impact of the recession that manifested itself in the fourth quarter of 2009, saw South Africa shed almost 1 million jobs from a high of 14,4 million in the fourth quarter of 2008 to a low point of 13,6 million in 2009. But by the fourth quarter of 2014, the number of employees had bounced back to 15,3 million people. So, this indicates that there is a promise that we are going to be turning around this economy. [Applause.]
If the members of the Official Opposition had taken the trouble to read, they would have discovered all these facts that I have just highlighted. It may even be that they did in fact read, but were not going to let facts stand in the way of a good story. What is the story in the Western Cape where they are governing? If you look at the municipal background of employment numbers, it tells a very fascinating story about the DA. In 2013 the City of Cape Town had a higher level of unemployment than in 2008. It stood at 25% in 2013 compared to 19,2% in 2008. In the Winelands District Municipality it is now at 22,2% from 16,4%.
Look at what the ANC is capable of doing in some of the districts under its control. Mopani District in Limpopo has reduced unemployment from 26,7% to 18,8% today; eThekwini Municipality from 17% to 16% this year. There is no denial that unemployment is a serious problem facing our country and it should not be used as a political football. It requires government to work together across all spheres. It requires company executives and trade unions to find a solution on wages and other challenges using instruments that our democratic government has availed to resolve this industrial challenge. The challenges of electricity shortage that we are experiencing now have a negative impact on our economy but, as we have said, we have plans. President Zuma's government, over the last 5 years, has spent about R1 trillion on infrastructure development, indicating that we are in fact doing the right things. For us the message is very clear. Contrary to the wishes of the Official Opposition, South Africa has weathered the storms of the 2008 financial and economic crisis much better than many of the modern economies around the globe.
Challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality persist, but we have a National Development Plan, NDP, to help us address all these challenges. There is the NDP, a plan which we believe even opposition parties support. Let us all focus our energies on implementing this plan. There is one lesson that we should all learn from this: You cannot keep on doing the same thing the same way, thinking that you will have different results.
At the end of this debate, after much noise from the opposition parties, as sure as the sun will rise from the east, President Zuma will still be the President of the Republic of South Africa. [Applause.] I wish members of the opposition could learn and live with that fact. Two things may happen before their will is realised. Firstly, the pigs would have flown and, secondly, hens would have grown teeth. In short, it ain't gonna happen. Thank you. [Applause.] [Interjections.]