Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has begun openly campaigning at the African National Congress (ANC) branch level, saying that party branches must elect leaders who will work for the people, not for their "own houses".

Ramaphosa on Sunday asked branches to vote for a leader they know will restore the ANC to the glorious movement it is, come the December elective conference.

Ramaphosa was speaking at a cadres’ forum in the Sarah Baartman region in Grahamstown.

He encouraged branches not to be misled by corrupt forces who wish to buy their votes, adding that some branches will start emerging at the time of the election to further "individual and family" interests.

"There is capture of branches. There is money to buy branches. We saw this problem in Mangaung... Our branches must be branches that are alive... There are branches in the ANC who live solely for conference and elections. If you belong to such branches, I want you to know you do not belong in [the] ANC."

He said branches of the ANC cannot allow themselves to be captured or bought.

He described party branches as vibrant and energetic.

"All those that are driven by money are not branches of the ANC. Branches of the ANC must never be bought... It must be a branch that is not captured by anybody. It must be self-respecting and confident, not a fake branch."

He encouraged branches to start getting ready for the elective conference saying the "hour of destiny is coming".

He said branches needed to scrutinise the current crop of leaders and decide on a leader that will revamp and renew the party.

"Go and continue with your preparations for the policy conference and after that the branches of the ANC must get ready for [the] elective conference in December... where we are going to elect the leaders. That is the hour of destiny.

"You as branches must look right across the length and breadth of this movement and say who are the people who are going to implement decisions we took at policy conference."

He advised branches to analyse candidates with open eyes and sharp ears. They must be the type of leaders who are going to make sure that all that is wrong and not going well in the party will be fixed, he said.

"Forget what we say, we know you have eyes... go and choose wisely. Go and choose leaders who are going to restore the image of the ANC."

He promised to restore an ANC which is free of corruption and which does not tolerate liars and thieves. He said people long for the ANC of former party presidents Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.

"They say 'bring back that ANC'. If you don't restore it, forget about 2019... Let us go and build our branches and build an ANC that will have leaders who will work for the people... Leaders who will be humble and work day and night for our people, not [for] their own houses."

He said that if members made the right decisions, the party could be able to win 75% of the votes in the 2019 national elections.

"We need to get ready for 2019 so that we can win... if we take the right steps, build our branches, have good policies, elect the right leaders, we will be able to get an overwhelming majority... We can get 75%...

"It is not beyond us to even get 75% if we make the right decision... Let us vote for leaders who will take us forward... leaders with vision, integrity, so that [the] ANC can be restored to that of Oliver Tambo."