JZ's house: This is the new R3,6-million Forest Town home of former deputy president Jacob Zuma.

Former deputy president Jacob Zuma has settled in Johannesburg, in a R3,6-million home in the leafy suburb of Forest Town.

Zuma was at home on Friday morning when our sister newspaper, The Star, visited the upmarket neighbourhood, nestled between Parktown and Saxonwold, but was not prepared to comment.

The Financial Mail has reported that a trust recently bought the property, Idle Winds, for R3,6-million. It quoted neighbours as saying they had seen Zuma entering and leaving the property.

A police constable was guarding the property on Friday morning when our news team arrived.

A steep driveway led from the main gate through greenery to a facebrick house, from where a woman peeked out at the news team, before disappearing from view again.

Residents and workers in Epping Road were convinced that Zuma was their new neighbour.

Maggie Letlape, a domestic worker from across the road, said she had glimpsed Zuma "from far away" and had seen "many big black cars" arriving at the house.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he had spotted police VIP protection unit cars coming and going.

"It's a fact, as far as I am concerned," that Zuma had moved in, he said. Zuma had apparently become his neighbour about two weeks ago, when the "for sale" sign on Idle Winds came down.

Contractor Bill Middleton, who is working on an adjacent property, said: "Last week it was crawling with presidential security vans. They were all over the place.

"I don't know if they were buying or just looking at the house, but the rumour is that he has bought there."

However, the ANC claimed on Friday not to know anything about Zuma having moved into the multimillion-rand property.

Steyn Speed, the ANC's media officer, said he was not aware of Zuma having moved into the house.

"I have no idea. I'm not aware of this. This is not what the ANC would address as an organisational matter. It is a personal issue," Speed said.

Jonny Novick, of the Vered estate agency, who sold the house, confirmed the sale yesterday, but claimed he did not know much about the deal.

"I'm happy that we have sold the house, but I have not met any of the parties involved in the transaction. The information in front of me has no reference to Zuma," Novick said.

Asked for comment on the fact that Zuma, despite no longer holding office, still enjoys police guards, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula's spokesman, Trevor Bloem, referred all inquiries to the office of national police commissioner Jackie Selebi.

But Selebi's spokeswoman, Director Sally de Beer, said Selebi's office was not in the business of answering questions about VIP issues.

"We do not discuss those issues, especially for the safety of those involved," De Beer said.

With acknowledgements to Alex Eliseev, Nomusa Cembi, Baldwin Ndaba and The Independent on Saturday.