Shame on you Vodacom!

You have locked the phone so that we can only use it in SA. My son is in Ireland and wants to use a local sim card and not the SA sim. After many wasted hours last Thursday calling the call centre, data support and going in to the Clearwater Vodacom 4 U branch (where the manager didn't even have the decency to come out after 2 hours and try and assist in some way) still the phone can't be used. On googling this problem I find it's quite possible for this to happen (it used to happen years ago but is no longer allowed). How has this happened now? No one at Vodacom can or wants to help solve this problem. I was told he must go to a local Vodafone where he is and they will sort it out (is this because they're more clued up than you?). I was told we should've informed Vodacom 2 days before leaving the country so that the phone could be used (since when? you don't control where I can use my phone! I'm not using roaming!). I was told that we need to adjust the phone to different frequencies?? I was told only certain service providers will work (why, I'm not roaming???) How am I going to unlock this phone? Please help!!