Johannesburg - A South African has died during a shootout at a mall in Kenya, the international relations and co-operation department said on Sunday.
“The South African government condemns the terrorist attack in Kenya in which a number of civilians, including a South African national were killed,” departmental spokesman Clayson Monyela said in a statement.
Earlier, the Sunday Independent reported that six South Africans, including two children were trapped in the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi when the attack began on Saturday.
It is not yet clear if the person killed was one of them.
Agence France-Presse reported on Sunday afternoon that the death toll stood at 59.
Kenyan troops, apparently backed by Israeli forces, were working to end the standoff, with gunmen still holding hostages inside the mall.
Monyela said consular assistance was being given to the family of the South African who was killed.
“Terrorism in any form and from whichever quarter, cannot be condoned,” said President Jacob Zuma.
“We wish the Kenyan government every success in rapidly resolving this issue with as little further loss of life as possible,” he said. - Sapa