I want my cell number back

I requested for Cell C to cancel my 24 month contract and port my number to prepaid, which i was signed up for under the guise of a month to month contract, the request was denied since my account was in arrears. my sim was blocked. I payed the outstanding amount on the 28th of July 2022, when i requested for the sim to be unblocked i was then told that my number has been permanently cancelled. Since the 28th of July I've been phoning them and I'm sent from pillar to post, all departments cannot resolve my issue, I need my number back, I've had that number for +-18 years. I'm now told that my account was handed over on the 3rd of August , why when the account was settled on the 28th of July and contract terminated on the 31st of July according to their records?