Facebook posts shared more than 8,000 times falsely alleged that a building in South Africa's capital Pretoria was a human trafficking hotspot.
Out of the 51 ads identified, only one was removed by Facebook, which says it bans false ads.
The police's Mathapelo Peters said that these messages spread unnecessary panic among communities.
Messages making the rounds on social media caused many to rush to liquor outlets on Tuesday to stock up on booze.
Presidency Spokesperson Khusela Diko has confirmed that there will not be an address by the president.
Radio is the only source of information in many parts of rural Africa and viewed as an important medium to stem the spread of the coronavirus across the continent which has so far been less severely hit by COVID-19 than other regions.
China said recent accusations by United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump that the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan were part of a political strategy ahead of the 2020 US presidential election.
He said he was appalled by a front-page article in Saturday’s 'Weekend Argus' under the headline: 'Fears of Homeless Outbreak’.
Citizens are now being urged to be discerning about what information they consume and rather rely on trusted sources.
By Dr Jack & Curtis.
In a video being circulated on social media, Stephen Birch falsely claimed the medical swabs used by health workers during community screening had been contaminated with the virus.
Stephen Birch was released on a warning and is expected to return to court on 14 July.
This after a man claimed on social media that cotton-tipped sticks that would be used to obtain a nasopharyngeal sample for coronavirus testing were already infected with the virus.
Police management said that it viewed the misleading alerts as mischievous and meant to sow unnecessary panic and confusion.
Following the news that a case of coronavirus has been detected in South Africa, fake news sites and social media users have been sharing unverified information.
Experts were expected to address the influence of fake news on election integrity, amongst other things.
Amid growing efforts to create fraudulent accounts, Facebook said it has stepped up its defences and often removes the accounts within minutes of their being created.
The new media code, established in July and now approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, increases fines for indecency, inciting violence or hate speech to 5 million nairas (nearly $14,000) from 500,000 nairas ($1,400).
