Olivia Habonimana, an orphaned refugee from Burundi, beat several of the South Africa's top young minds to earn the right to represent South Africa at the International Moot Court Competition in The Hague.
On Friday, a Department of Home Affairs official in Cape Town sent her home before she could apply for a passport.
"He said they were finished with passport applications by foreigners for the year," said Habonimana.
Her teammate, Danielle Dallas, a pupil of Immaculata High School, in Wynberg, Cape Town, applied for her passport last week. It was ready for collection yesterday.
Said teacher Beverley McArthur: "She is so disappointed that she is 'letting Danielle down'. I can't sleep because I am constantly thinking about what to do to help her.
"She worked so hard. This competition will ensure a better future for her.
"She is not doing it just for herself. She is an ambassador for our school, for the province, for the country."
In August, Habonimana and Dallas finished fourth in the National Schools Moot Court Competition held in Gauteng. They are the reigning Western Cape champions.
Participants in the competition take the role of lawyers disputing fictional court cases.
Habonimana turns 17 on Christmas Day. The greatest gift she could receive, she said, would be the ID she applied for seven months ago, and a passport with which to travel to the Netherlands to fly the South African flag.
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