Vikash “Romeo Xray" Kistasamy.
Image: Supplied
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) is mourning the loss of veteran officer Vikash “Romeo Xray" Kistasamy, a trained SWAT vehicle driver, who was found unresponsive at his Tongaat residence this morning.
According to reports, the 44-year-old's partner found him in bed at about 5.10am, minutes after they had last spoken. He was expected to report for duty within the hour.
Prem Balram, of Rusa, said: “He had a conversation with his partner just before 5am today and she then went into the bathroom. She got out a few minutes later and realised he was not responding when she tried to wake him for work."
He said Kistasamy was on standby duty at the time, with a response vehicle already parked at his home.
When the partner couldn't wake him, she called Rusa paramedics. He was pronounced dead at 5.30am.
"The cause of death is believed to be natural, pending any further confirmation."
Balram said Kistasamy joined Rusa at age 23, accumulating 21 years of intermittent service.
Over the course of his career, he was deployed internationally on multiple occasions, including assignments in India and other parts of Africa.
“Vikash was a fantastic officer. He served with us for 21 years and was deployed twice to India - once in Mumbai and once in Delhi - as well as to various parts of Africa. He always completed his tasks and brought back positive results.”
Kistasamy was also a trained SWAT vehicle driver and played a critical role in numerous operations.
“He was instrumental in many operations and high-profile arrests. He also drove our SWAT vehicles and worked closely with his partner, Philani Desmond Mkhulisi, whom he was teamed with in 2025. Vikash will be best remembered for his work with Rusa, not only locally but also in Asia and other parts of Africa.”
Colleagues and members of the community have begun expressing their condolences, remembering Kistasamy, whose code name was Romeo Xray, as a committed officer who consistently delivered results and served with distinction.