40 years ago today, July 31, 1985 (June 14, 1985 in the lunar calendar), South Africa entered a state of emergency. On July 31, 1985, South Africa was once again a scene of unrest, violence and harsh government intervention. President P-W Bota's government issued a state of emergency 11 days ago to stop social unrest. Today the government stopped people from holding funerals for victims of black riots. The ceremony has turned into an anti-apartheid gathering, but now police can disperse them. Since September, more than 500 people have died in the fight against apartheid laws. The Reagan administration, one of South Africa's few allies, continued to maintain its policy of "constructive restraint" by trying to persuade rather than confront Pretoria's racial policies.