Henk Langenhoven. Chief Economist Minerals Council South Africa

First Thing is First | The Minerals Council South Africa on Friday warned that Eskom's tariff applications will stifle economic growth and damage the mining sector.Eskom has proposed a series of tariff increases, with the latest one being 20.5%. South Africans are already hit hard by high fuel prices and increasing inflation. Meanwhile, ESKOM’S chief financial officer, Calib Cassim, on Friday made an impassioned plea to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) to objectively consider the utility’s application for a 20.5 percent tariff increase because any shortfalls in revenue generation still have to be covered by the government as a major shareholder and ultimately, consumers.