Start radical change by looking down - at our children

Call it radical economic transformation, call it inclusive growth or call it a swift kick in the pants, the idea is we need to change the way we do things. Chop-chop.

The dawning of democracy in South Africa was a wonderful thing, but the self-congratulation has gone on for far too long.

The ANC has its scapegoats for stagnancy in the land, but the truth is it has held the all-important levers of power and keys to the fiscus for 23 years and has made pathetically few dents in poverty, for example.

Insipid growth, bad policy and non-implementation of development plans keep the poor in penury and grow the wealth gap.

Meaningful change is urgently needed - for the sake of our young people facing a scary new world.

The global revolution in physical, digital and biological technologies will change the way we live and work. Half-baked education, mass unemployment and abiding poverty won't bring us prosperity in this new world. Properly preparing our children for the challenge is paramount - and, by extension, must be a foundation stone of radical economic change. We must say it again: Put our money to work for the future of our youth not for favoured old pals.

The magnitude of the task at hand is reflected in at least one story we carry today.

An international survey of children's rights to life, health, education and protection says discrimination against girls, HIV/Aids-affected kids and albinism has got worse in South Africa in the past year.

This prejudice is an extension of the rise in racist talk and actions, which have been fanned as much by political grandstanding as by silly estate agents tweeting.

So, it is patently a good idea to stop talking about it and to get on with the radical transformation - especially of the environment in which our young are growing.

Someone made a smart comment recently: "Let's learn from the future, not the past."