Error while installing Python2.5.1

[zaperaj at gmail.com]

I use red hat 9 which comes with python2.2 installed in it. Wanting to
use the latest version, i downloaded python 2.5.1 from the official
python website. After downloading, i performed the following steps,
but there is some error during the configuration process and hence i'm
not able to run the "make" command after this. Following is the
sequence of events that happened in my terminal:

[root at localhost root]# tar xfz Python-2.5.1.tgz
[root at localhost root]# cd Python-2.5.1
[root at localhost Python-2.5.1]# ./configure
checking MACHDEP... linux2
checking EXTRAPLATDIR...
checking for --without-gcc... no
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
[root at localhost Python-2.5.1]# make
make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found.  Stop.

If anybody can help... Thanx!