Pretoria, Feb 25 (IANS): Clashes have erupted in an anti-migrant protest rally in the South African capital of Pretoria prompting police to use rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators, a media report said.

A low-flying police helicopter was deployed on Friday to break up a stand-off between local protesters and foreigners, with both groups armed with sticks, bricks and knives, the BBC reported.

Earlier this week, angry mobs attacked Nigerians and looted shops belonging to Somalis, Pakistanis and other migrants in townships around Pretoria and parts of Johannesburg.

"They (foreigners) should know that this they are a guest in my house. I am treating them with respect. They should treat me with respect," one angry protester told the BBC.

Nigerians in South Africa were "notorious" for dealing drugs, he added, calling for greater checks on foreigners coming into the country.

Somali and Bangladeshi immigrants in the western part of the capital city told the BBC that their shops had been looted during Friday's protests.

Shopkeeper Omar Adawi said it was the third time his business had been targeted: "I am not feeling happy... Now my shop is nothing. They took everything. I have lost everything. I have nothing left in my hands."

The main group behind the Pretoria protests, Mamelodi Concerned Residents, has blamed foreign nationals for taking jobs and accused them of being involved in prostitution rings and drug cartels, accusations denied by immigrant communities.

However, President Jacob Zuma said the protests were "anti-crime" not "anti-foreigner", adding that many foreign citizens living in South Africa were law-abiding and contributed to the economy.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) blamed poor leadership for the unrest.

Official government figures said the number of immigrants in South Africa has declined in recent years.

Figures released last year said there were 1.6 million foreign-born people in the country, down from 2.2 million in 2011.