News24 | WATCH | Spilling the tee: Ramaphosa uses Presidential Golf Day to set the record straight

Following the State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the Presidential Golf Challenge at Atlantic Beach Golf Club in Melkbosstrand, Cape Town, on Friday.

During the challenge, Cabinet ministers, businesspeople and friends challenged each other on the Estate's putting green. 

However, it wasn't all fun and games, as the president took the moment to address some hot-button matters.

"Regarding what is happening in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo], as a head of state, I am not in the habit of getting in the mud and arguing with other heads of state," he said.

A diplomatic spat over the fighting in the DRC developed after Rwandan President Paul Kagame took to social media to lash out at Pretoria following a January statement by Ramaphosa.

"The fighting is the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and attacking peacekeepers from the SAMIDRC [The South Africa-led SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]," Ramaphosa said at the time. 

However, Kagame, who said he spoke to Ramaphosa about the situation in the eastern DRC, said Ramaphosa's utterances were lies, distortions and deliberate attacks.

"Matters of importance are discussed properly behind closed doors – I am not going get into the mud," Ramaphosa reiterated. 

He also reiterated his stance on the recent tension between South Africa and the United States. 

"The United States is a very important player on the global stage; they are the biggest economy, and they are our very important trading partner, so we intend to deal with them in a formal way and a proper engagement." 

Speaking during his SONA on Thursday evening, Ramaphosa said South Africa would not be bullied after US President Donald Trump and his allies put the country under pressure this week. 

"I am going to be sending a delegation to the world ...  to explain our position, more particularly our G20 objectives. We want this G20 to be an African G20 but also to be a G20 that focuses on issues impacting the Global South," he said.