JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Anglo Platinum (Angloplat), the world's biggest producer of platinum, said on Tuesday it had appointed Neville Nicolau as its Chief Executive Officer, with effect from June 1 this year.

Nicolau replaces the joint-acting CEOs, Norman Mbazima and Duncan Wanblad, who have been at the helm of the company since former CEO Ralph Havenstein, resigned on August 31.

Angloplat is majority owned by mining group Anglo American Plc.

Safety issues were prominent in Havenstein's decision to quit who said at the time that someone new could prompt a "step change" in the firm's safety record.

The new tough stand on safety within the Anglo American group has been largely driven by CEO Cynthia Carroll, officials within the group have said.

Havenstein's departure appeared to be a last-minute decision since no successor was announced and Mbazima and Wanblad were named to act as interim CEOs.

Shares in Angloplat traded 2.2 percent down by 0955 GMT, with the Top-40 blue-chip index off 0.9 percent.

Neville, 48, a South African citizen, has some 30 years of gold mining experience, including eight years with gold mining group AngloGold Ashanti, where he held a number of top executive positions, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. He joined Anglo in 2008.