Addressing about 20 US students who are studying at Rhodes University here, he emphasised that throwing resources at the HIV/Aids epidemic in South Africa would not help if the government did not make good use of them.
Hume was referring to President George W Bush's announcement two weeks ago that he would provide an initial US$2-billion (about R17-billion) in 2004 to health projects in 14 countries in Africa and the Caribbean to fight the virus.
It is estimated that 30 million people in Africa alone have been infected. Hume said he did not see how South Africa would spend the money.
"If we go to the government and say we have US$200 million (R1,7-bn) and asked them 'what would you like us to try and do? What would you like us to support?' -- what would they say?.
"Both national and provincial administrations have failed to spend all the money in their own budgets."
He said both the national and Eastern Cape administrations had also failed to spend their health budgets.
"Coming up with more resources does not necessarily mean they are going to do anything."
He emphasised the problem was not unique to South Africa but said this country faced some tough challenges.
He expressed confidence in South Africa's future, saying it was well connected to the global economy. But he warned that it would have to do more to combat HIV-Aids which was causing the country to lose "energy and intelligence".
The United States could contribute resources but it required the South African government to meet the challenges.
He said that given the enormity of the challenges facing South Africa, the little the US embassy could do was like "throwing pixie dust in a war".
But it would do what it strategically could.
Hume also had some sharp words for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe but pointed out that the US could do little to help the situation there.
"We don't have many interests in Zimbabwe which means we don't have much influence."
However, he said, the degree of "degradation" in the country over 10 years suggested that there needed to be change or there could only be more misery.
He described the Mugabe government as "despotic", but said it was largely up to the people in Zimbabwe and countries in the region to take the lead in dealing with the problems there.
Asked by one student why the US government would not consider taking similar action against Zimbabwe as was being contemplated in Iraq, Hume said that "as far as he knew" Mugabe did not have weapons of mass destruction.
He re-iterated that the US was serious about disarming Iraq. He said Iraq had an obligation to "proactively" comply with the 17 UN resolutions requiring it to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction.
"It is clear that those weapons are still there. All the president (Bush) is saying is that if he (Iraqi president Saddam Hussein) doesn't get rid of them by himself we'll get rid of them for him." Asked whether he thought countries against such drastic action could be brought around, he said he was not aware any other countries were "expected to do anything".
"The people who believe he (Saddam) must be disarmed have the capacity to do it."
Hume is conducting an orientation tour of the Eastern Cape and visiting various projects in the area supported by the US - Sapa.
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