Paying penalties when penalties have already been paid

So when has it been practice to penilize people that have already paid penalties to pay more penalties? My mother took out 2 contract in September 2018 and when her business folded she was behind on the payments. When her house was sold in 2019, she settled her back dated bills and paid a penalty for being in arrears. Today she phoned Vodacom to find out why October 2020 has been deducted off her account and they told her that because she was in arrears last year, her contract has been extended till February 2021. My mother is a pensioner and has lost her job because of Covid-19. Where must she now fork out this extra money every month? And WHY has her contract been extended as a penilty if she has already paid penilties? This is not on.