Months trying to unblock a cellphone

I have a cellphone (airtime and data) contract with MTN, which I've held for a few years. My phone was ****** in Feb 2014 and I followed the procedure to block it. Luckily, the phone was recovered by SAPS and is back in my possession. I have been trying to get it unlocked on the MTN network so I can use it, but to no avail. I followed the procedure as advised at the stores and by customer care, but nobody contacts me about it, and when i call for an update, they do not know about it. I have followed this procedure on more than 1 occasion, but the results are the same. I am now paying for something I cannot use because of this. I don't know where to go now because if I go the store, they tell me there is nothing they can do, likewise with customer care. I am told all sorts of stories which don't pave a path for my issue to be resolved. I don't think I will renew my contract, because at this rate it will be useless as I am not using these services anyway. Since the beginning of the year (2015) I have been battling with this,