President Jacob Zuma’s family is not rich, and its members are unsure as to how the country’s leader will pay back the R7.8 million he owes for upgrades to his Nkandla home.

Zuma was ordered to pay the sum to the state by the National Treasury and the Constitutional Court for non-security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.

Zuma’s brother Michael told the Sunday Times that he does not know where Zuma will get the money to pay the Nkandla bill, adding that the “Zuma family lived the life of any rural family”.

He said the president’s family did not have millions lying around, and they were misunderstood.

Zuma’s son Edward told the publication that the family will not be able to afford the bill. “We are not a rich family,” he said.

The Sunday Times stated that this is contrary to public reports of wealth in the Zuma family, including Edward spending R2.5 million on his wedding in 2011.

Another of Zuma’s children, Duduzane, is a director at Gupta-owned mine Shiva Uranium and owns multiple cars valued in the millions.

Businessmen unwilling to help

According to the report, ANC insiders said business people were unwilling to donate money to Zuma to help him pay the debt, as Zuma’s presidential term was coming to an end.

“What will they get in return?” said a source.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has said the ANC will also not collect money for Zuma.

The full report is in the Sunday Times of 3 July 2016.

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