I WANT MY VODACOM NUMBER BACK

I have been using a vdacom number for more than 20 years till 20 September 2024 when my number stopped working. I went to a Vodacom shop and was told to do a sim swap which I did although I wasn't told why my number is not working. After 4 hours, I tried using the number, it was still not working. I phoned custom care the following day and was told the number was deleted because it was inactive for more than 3 months. That was the only number I had and it stopped working just after I had bought airtime and minutes and called some family members. I would call vodacom frequently to try get my number back but to no luck until in December where an agent told me my number was ported to Cell C somewhere in Eastern Cape and I I'm in Mpumalanga. I contacted Cell C and it was confirmed that my number is with them but not in use. I requested them to send it back to Vodacom and that was done on the 15th of January. I went to a Vodacom shop to get my number and was not assisted, they insisted they don't have the number on their system. Yesterday I phoned Vodacom customer Care and was told that my number is back. I asked if I can get it back and I was told that I can but I need to go to a Vodacom shop to make a sim swap of which I did today. I'm at a Vodacom shop now, no assistance still, same story of the deleted number. I'm so frustrated and so angry because I used my last petrol to travel all the way to the shop and to get the same story. I'm so disappointed with Vodacom because they are the ones manufacturing this numbers and have access to the numbers, why can't they retrieve my number? I want my number back.........