Despite its aim of serving as a monument to an international icon of the anti-apartheid movement, the Nelson Mandela Park, located in the heart of Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, has been deemed just “a nice resting place” by many of its users.

The park was intended to honour the legacy of Mandela, the former South Africa president and activist, but some users of the facility with whom Our Today spoke either did not know who Nelson Mandela was or that the park was connected to him at all.

Instead, they said they simply use it as a resting spot when traversing Half-Way Tree.

When Our Today travelled to Nelson Mandela Park today (July 18), which is being celebrated as Nelson Mandela International Day to get the views of its users, the responses were varied.

“It is a nice little green space in the middle of Half-Way Tree. A lot of times people come and relax,” said Delroy Green, a taxi operator in the area.

“I did not know that it was Nelson Mandela Park. I just come here and sit down sometimes,” said a regular user of the park who wished to remain unidentified.

Other users of the park suggested the facility has become a space for gangs.

“Only a few people ‘reside’ at this spot these days, including gang members who seem to thrive in this public part of the capital,” said Sean Viprix.

Another user of the park, Lia Miller, warned people to “go at their own risk”.

She added that the area reeks of urine.

In May this year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated that the Government intends to move the park, but the announcement was met with mixed reactions.

“I think that they should move it. It is not really the attraction that it used to be. You have a lot of vendors taking over the area now,” Nayka Edwards told Our Today.

Another frequent user of the park, Kemar McCall, said he knows nothing about the park or Nelson Mandela but encouraged the Government not to move it because “it is a nice resting place in the buzz of Half-Way Tree”.

He added that, if the park is for Nelson Mandela, information about his life should be visible to users of the space.