South Africa's deputy president says he is "agonizing" over whether he would accept leading the governing African National Congress if he's chosen during the party's convention next month.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe remained cagey Friday when speaking with journalists in Pretoria as part of an event organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Association of Southern Africa.

Some local ANC groups have nominated Motlanthe to take over leadership of the ANC. Typically, whoever leads the ANC becomes the party's presidential candidate. Elections are slated for 2014.

President Jacob Zuma, 70, currently leads the party. While avoiding criticizing Zuma, Motlanthe said corruption has eaten away at the ANC since it became the nation's governing party at the end of apartheid.