Vodacom deleted my number. TWICE!

In the beginning of 2020, I put my Vodacom sim card into my phone (now prepaid as I moved over to MTN) just to receive the OTP which I still need for certain large transactions. I was shocked when it just would not connect. I phoned Vodacom customer care, just to find out that they "reappropriated" my number for a new customer and deactivated my service! After a long struggle, I finally got it working again. After being abroad for three months since August this year, I once again needed my Vodacom sim for another OTP in order for a transaction. Just to be told that Vodacom had ONCE AGAIN deactivated my number. This number has belonged to me for 10 years! How can they just delete it after a short period of inactivity? I'm furious!!! Now I have to go through the same hassle of begging and moaning until I (hopefully) get my number back. Completely ludicrous and unacceptable! Number in question was supposedly given to a "contract customer", yet when I call it, it says "the number does not exist"! Number is *** by the way.