In this article current trends and future prospects in the field of interpreting as a means of empowerment for the entire South African community will be discussed. The main focus will be the Local Government translation and Interpreting Service (LOGTIS) of the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment at the University of the Orange Free State, a project currently being funded by the Flemish Community Government. The LOGTIS pilot project will be held up as an example of how functional multilingualism could become a reality at the local government level in South Africa, in effect confirming that linguistic human rights can and should be observed in a new democracy.