Debit order uselessness

We all know the telkom story. We have a contract with them. We set up a debit order and they did not debit the account. Then we are forced to go and stand in a Covid-19 filled line at pnp with a highly pregnant woman just to pay this account... THEN they have the audacity to charge us a penalty for paying, even though it's their fault for not taking the debit order!