South African police say anti-immigrant protests were 'mostly peaceful'

South African police said Wednesday that nationwide anti-immigration protests held the previous day were "mostly peaceful", despite isolated incidents of looting and criminal activity.

Around 900 people were arrested over the day, mostly undocumented foreign nationals and South African looters.

"South Africans exercised their constitutional right and the overwhelming majority did so peacefully, responsibly and within the framework of the prescribed laws," said South African Police Service Acting National Commissioner Tebello Mosikili.

Thousands of protesters took part in the marches on Tuesday, calling for tougher action against illegal immigration.

The coordinated demonstrations followed a weeks-long campaign led by fringe groups for undocumented immigrants to go home by 30 June.

Police were out in force for the protests and overnight reinforcements were deployed to several areas including "Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Free State and Western Cape in response to isolated incidents of looting and criminality," Mosikili said Wednesday.

Across the country, several businesses believed to be owned by foreign nationals were looted and vandalised during the protests.

Some store owners estimated losses running into millions of rand and said they were uncertain whether they would be able to reopen.

Police also said they were investigating a murder in Johannesburg's crime-ridden township of Alexandra after a man was shot while people looted a shop owned by a foreign national.