Money Leeches!!!!

When I signed up with PF last year June, I was told by the gentleman who assisted me that the contract is for 12 months and needed to inform them if I wanted to renew. So 12 months has gone by and I thought my contact would be done by now. At the end of September, they charged me R438. I contacted them explaining the situation and I said I didn't say they could renew my contract, and mind you I never received notice if I wanted to renew, and the woman had attitude with me if I had expected the contract to cancel on its own and my contract couldn't have been for 12 months because it's on a recurring plan. Their last email to me had a subject line saying "Time to Renew" and the content told me thanks for my continued support... How does that make sense??? They weren't taking no for an answer that I was told one thing and now they're telling me something else. They eventually said they would cancel it but only at the end of November. I still pushed that I don't want to pay the amounts for the next 2 months and requested a refund for September. They told me they can't because I am still liable for April, May and June. How can I be held liable for a service I couldn't even use??? If I was using the gym and didn't pay yes that's understandable!! But I couldn't due to covid! And they also shot themselves in the foot because they're agreeing that my contract was for 12 months as they said I'm "liable" for Apr - June and now April to August??? So upset!!!!