Unfair Discontinuation of my PERSONAL number

I had a Vodacom mobile number since early 2016 till April 2020,where I lost the simcard itself and I was not in a position to simswap then. When I eventually try to make simswap it failed, I contact Vodacom customer care to be told the number has been deregistered/blocked from the system, I went to one of Vodacom shops to be told the same WORSE it has been allocated to someone else. I need that number back for there is so much of personal/private stuff in it.!!The number was ***.