A mother accused of savagely beating her four-year-old daughter in Phoenix‚ north of Durban‚ and her lover have been ordered to hand themselves over to police.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said on Monday the Verulam Magistrate's Court revoked the 25-year-old woman and her 20-year-old lover's bail on Friday. The pair can't be named to protect the identity of the minor.

"The bail was revoked due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the matter. This was communicated to the two accused's lawyers."

"The man handed himself over to police on Friday. The woman has yet to hand herself over. The investigating officer is in communication with her lawyer‚" she said.

Gwala confirmed that the pair were facing a charge of attempted murder. They were initially charged with assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm.

The man's car was torched on Thursday and his life was threatened. The threats appear to follow the leaking of a video clip which shows the mother punching and kicking her daughter. The video‚ apparently filmed by the boyfriend‚ has since gone viral.

According to police‚ the girl was thrashed to the point where she fell unconscious – all because she scuffed her mother’s boyfriend’s shoes.

The man allegedly punched the child and threw her against a cabinet. “It is further alleged that the boyfriend threatened to kill the complainant if she did not assault the victim as well‚" Gwala said.

The child was rushed to a local clinic and thereafter transferred to a hospital for medical attention.

The couple was arrested on February 28 and appeared in court the following day. They will make their next court appearance on April 11. The father of the 20-year old confirmed his son was in prison.

The child's biological father's attorney‚ Kelvin Walker‚ said his client would comment on the incident on Monday afternoon. It is believed that he had applied for custody of the four-year-old last year.