Maputo — The island of Xefina, in the Bay of Maputo, is gradually disappearing under the waves, thanks to coastal erosion caused largely by the self-destructive behaviour of the island's few inhabitants.

Xefina was used under colonial rule as a leper colony, a military installation, and a jail for political prisoners. At independence in 1975, the prison was closed, and since then the old military installations have been slowly decaying,

Thanks to coastal erosion, the sea has been making severe inroads into the north of the island, and threatens to engulf the old Portuguese cannons and walls. Part of a colonial airstrip has already disappeared.

On Wednesday, the governor of Maputo City, Rosa da Silva, visited the island, where about 60 people eke out a living from fishing. According to a report in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", she urged the population to take measures to halt the erosion, notably by planting trees.

But there used to be plenty of trees on Xefina. The local people, however, have been cutting them down for firewood, thus hastening the day when they will have little option but to evacuate the island.

Xefina serves as a barrier, protecting coastal Maputo neighbourhoods such as Costa do Sol and Pescadores from the full force of the Indian Ocean. If the island disappears, those neighbourhoods, already under threat from erosion, will suffer much more severe batterings,

Xefina also, despite its small size, has considerable plant diversity. But as the island shrinks, the number of plants it can support diminishes.

Arnaldo Simango, a city architect who accompanied the governor, said a solution to the problem went beyond the powers of the city government. Since very large scale investment was required, it would need the involvement of the central authorities.

There are no facilities on Xefina, and the government appears to have shelved plans to turn it into a tourist resort, which would involve building a bridge linking it to the mainland.